<p>Many students begin college with an idealized expectation about the “perfect roommate” situation. Some people hope for a roommate to become their best friend, to go out with them, and to host social events in their room. Other people might want the complete opposite: someone to give them space and be supportive as a roommate, but not necessarily as a close friend. So what is the ideal option? As a freshman, I came into college with very specific expectations about my roommate; in a perfect world, we would be close as can be and rely on each other to branch out and make new friends. Although I do consider my roommate to be my friend, our relationship is much different than I had anticipated.</p>
<p>From the first week of school, it was clear that Sydney and I gravitated towards different people, and we rarely occupied our room at the same time. What’s more, our interests were stark opposites; although Sydney’s makeup collection nicely complemented my Calvin and Hobbes comic book collection across the room, I had trouble focusing on my homework with <em>Keeping Up with the Kardashians</em> playing in the background. Even our living styles were different. I believed in a very “Type A” style of organization, while my roommate believed in “organized chaos.&#8221; At first, this worried me. Could opposites really attract?</p>
<p>A month passed and I spent less and less time in the room. Somehow, this brought Sydney and I closer. Every night I’d look forward to seeing her in our dorm and debriefing each other about our days, maybe even watching an episode of the Kardashians…or a few. My relationship with my roommate continues to change as we both meet new people and experience new things. But I am open to this change because I know that there are many different ways to be a friend, whether that means going out to brunch together or simply checking in at the end of the day.</p>
<p>Many of my friends are close as can be with their roommates, but sometimes I think they envy my relationship with Sydney. We aren’t best friends, we are people who live together: we wake up together, start our days together, and end our nights together. We aren’t inseparable, but Tulane wouldn’t be the same without her. There&#8217;s no such thing as the &#8220;perfect&#8221; roommate situation. It all comes down to what works for you!</p>
<p>COVER PHOTO: <a href="https://news.tulane.edu/news/new-beginning">Tulane News</a></p>
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The Ideal Roommate Situation: Does it Exist?
